Bodacious
by iamapieceoftrash
Summary: When Tanner asks if he can crash on Brady's couch while he and Lela work out some relationship issues, Brady agrees. Why wouldn't he? Tanner is his best friend, right? But after a string of late-night conversations and almost-kisses, Brady isn't so sure. Is it possible that he and Tanner could become more than friends? Or would that tear their entire friendship apart?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Can I crash at your place?" Tanner asked, sheilding his eyes from the bright summer sun. "Lela and I are going through a bit of a rough patch."

"Of course," Brady said automatically. Mack was out of town for the week so he had the place to himself. Why wouldn't he help out his friend?

Brady squinted his eyes against the sun and glanced over at Tanner. His hair was slicked back with ocean water and his dark eyes glittered brightly in this light. Brady couldn't help but notice the dark circles that had appeared under his friend's eyes these past few days.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Brady asked.

He had been happy for Lela and Tanner when they got an apartment together, almost as happy as when he and Mack moved in together. Tanner was his best friend, aside from Mack of course, and Tanner's relationship troubles hurt Brady as much as his own.

Tanner shrugged lazily and ran a hand through his hair. "She thinks I'm afraid of commitment."

"Are you?"

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I'm just worried, you know? I was so sure Lela was the one for me but lately I've just been having doubts. I've only ever been with her. What if there's someone better for me?"

Brady ran his fingers through the cool ocean water as he considered this. "I think it's natural to feel this way. You two have been together for three years. You're Lela and Tanner. You're meant to be." Brady paused, then choked out, "You do love each other, right?"

"That's the problem. I feel like we're just following a routine. It's like the love's not there anymore." Brady's heart did a little flip at Tanner's words. "Do you know what I mean?"

Brady knew what Tanner meant a lot more than he'd like to admit. He'd recently been going through something very similar with Mack. In fact, she'd gone out of town because she thought it'd be best for their relationship if they took a break from each other.

"You guys probably just need some time away from each other," Brady said. "You'll be fine."

"I guess," Tanner agreed, laying on his surfboard and beginning to paddle. "I'll race you back to shore."

Brady grinned. "You're on."

Both boys paddled as quickly as they could in order to make it back to the shore before the other. The race was neck and neck until they reached the point where they could no longer paddle but had to run instead.

Tanner had always been faster than Brady, but Brady wasn't going to admit defeat just yet. He tossed his surfboard onto the shore then leaped at Tanner, sucessfully tackling him. Tanner let out a surprised shout as they fell down in a tangle of limbs.

Brady moved to push himself off of Tanner but froze when their eyes met. Brady felt trapped under the weight of Tanner's gaze, unable to move away even if he wanted to. Brady's stomach did a strange sort of flip as he focused on not staring at Tanner's lips.

"We should go," Brady managed.

"Yeah," Tanner agreed, a strange tone in his voice. For a moment, neither of them moved. "Dude, you're kind of on top of me."

"Oh, right," Brady choked out, scrambling off of Tanner.

Brady offered Tanner a hand up, which he took. The two collected their surfboards and headed back to Brady's place for lunch. Though things returned to normal, Brady couldn't help but feel he and Tanner had just shared a special moment.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It had been two days but it still shocked Brady every time he went into the living room to find Tanner asleep on the couch. It was a good surprise, though. One that sent a burst of excitement through Brady. Today was no different except for one thing: Tanner was in the kitchen making pancakes when Brady woke up.

"I didn't know you could cook," Brady said, stifling a yawn as he walked into the kitchen.

"I can't," Tanner admitted, setting down the bowl he was stirring and crossing his arms in defeat. "I've been trying to make these stupid pancakes for an hour and a half but I keep messing up."

Brady couldn't hold back a laugh as he studied the scene. There was flour all over the kitchen and Tanner was no exception. Flour streaked his hair and speckled his face. There was even some in his eyebrows.

Brady's laugh seemed to upset Tanner, who turned away from Brady. "I just wanted to do something nice for you to thank you for letting me stay here. I guess I just can't to anything. I'm useless."

"Hey," Brady said softly. "You're not useless."

"Yeah, right," Tanner scoffed. "I can't even make pancakes."

"That's not true," Brady argued, picking up a stray pancake. "This one looks just fine."

Brady bit into the pancake and nearly gagged. Tanner was right, he really couldn't make pancakes. Brady had tasted a lot of bad pancakes over the years but none of them had been as bad as these. He didn't think it was possible for pancakes to be this bad.

"It's really good," Brady lied, his eyes watering from the awful taste.

"Brady, I know they're terrible. You don't have to lie to me about it."

Brady sighed. "So you can't make pancakes. Who cares?"

"I care," Tanner whined. "Making pancakes should be simple. What kind of person am I if I can't do it?"

"Lots of people can't make pancakes," Brady assured him. "It doesn't make you a bad person. It just means you've never been taught how to make them."

Tanner didn't say anything, just looked at the floor defeatedly. Brady stepped closer to him and tilted his chin up so their eyes met. Brady's lips twitched into a smile as he wiped away a bit of flour on the other boy's nose.

"I'll teach you, okay?" Brady said. "I'll teach you how to make pancakes."

He wondered vaguely what Tanner's lips would feel like against his own. Then he wondered why he would wonder something like that. Brady dropped his hand from where it rested under Tanner's chin and took a step back.

Brady cleared his throat. "So, pancakes."

Twenty minutes later, Brady and Tanner sat across from each other with a large plate of pancakes in between them. They were locked in a match of reverse tug-of-war, each insisting that the other gets to eat them first.

"You should get to try them first," Brady insisted. "You made them."

"You helped me," Tanner argued. "It's not fair that I take all the credit."

"Fine," Brady replied. "We'll try them together."

Both of them picked up a pancake as Brady's stomach growled. They linked arms and bit into their pancakes, their arms pulling them close together. Brady tried hard to keep his thoughts from wandering to Tanner.

"These are really good," Brady said as Tanner nodded in agreement. The two boys unlinked their arms, much to Brady's disappointment.

"Thanks for helping me make them," Tanner said, heading back to the sink to wash the dishes.

"You don't have to do the dishes," Brady protested.

"I know," Tanner replied, winking. "But I want to."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Brady couldn't sleep that night, there was too much on his mind. Specifically, a certain someone who may or may not have been sleeping on Brady's couch at that exact moment.

Brady rolled over for the hundredth time that night, trying desperately to find a comfortable position. He'd tried counting backwards from one hundred. He'd tried opening a window. He'd even tried counting sheep. Nothing had worked. His thoughts kept drifting back to earlier that day with Tanner.

They had gotten close enough that Brady could have kissed him if he wanted to, which he definitely didn't. Why would he want to kiss Tanner? Tanner was a guy. An amazing, handsome, wonderful guy but a guy nonetheless. Besides, Tanner was with Lela and Brady was with Mack.

But Tanner had said he wasn't happy with Lela and Brady wasn't exactly happy with Mack either. That didn't mean he and Tanner should get together, though. They were both straight, though Brady wasn't so sure about that anymore.

 _This is ridiculous,_ Brady thought, pushing off the blanket he was using. _Tanner's my best friend. I'm not in love with him, I just miss Mack._

Brady decided that a glass of water might help him clear his mind. He rolled out of bed and padded softly out of his room, trying not to wake Tanner up. His efforts proved futile, however, when he saw that Tanner was already sitting up on the couch, wide awake.

"Hey," Tanner greeted him, causing Brady's heart to leap up into his throat. "Can't sleep either?"

"Yeah," Brady replied. "Too much going on in my head. I figure a glass of water might help."

"Want to talk about it?" Tanner asked.

Brady shook his head. "Not really. How come you can't sleep?"

"Same reason, I guess. I've just been thinking about things with Lela."

"Oh?" Brady couldn't bring himself to say anything else. He was afraid if he said anything then everything he didn't say would come flooding out.

"I should go back and fix things, shouldn't I? I mean, we're Lela and Tanner. You said it yourself, we're meant to be." Brady silently cursed himself for ever saying that. "Besides, I like Lela. We work as a couple. There isn't really a good reason for us to break up."

"Isn't the fact that you're looking for one reason enough?" Brady asked, moving to sit next to Tanner on the couch. "If you're not happy in that relationship, what's the point of continuing it?"

"But I'm not unhappy," Tanner argued. "I don't have any reason not to be happy. I'm comfortable with Lela. When I'm with her, there's no worry that she won't accept who I am. She knows me and I know her. Isn't that enough?"

Brady shrugged and leaned back against the couch. A comfortable silence enveloped them and Brady took the opportunity to study Tanner. He was sitting with his knees tucked up against his chest. The expression on his face made him look lost and vulnerable.

"Do you ever miss the jitters of a first date?" Brady asked, shifting to face Tanner. "The thrill of a new relationship? That part when you're so enchanted with the other person that you just can't keep your hands off of them?"

"That seems like such a long time ago," Tanner murmured. "But yeah, I do."

"Don't get me wrong, the stability of my relationship with Mack is great but sometimes I wish I was still in the getting-to-know-you phase. The phase when all you want to do is just be with them because just being with them is magical."

Brady and Tanner stared at each other for a long time. Brady couldn't stop his eyes from flickering down to Tanner's lips. He hoped it was dark enough that Tanner couldn't see the way his gaze wavered.

"I'm not sure what happened with me and Mack." Brady was the first to break the silence. "I guess I just miss the magic."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Brady woke up on the couch. He and Tanner had stayed up nearly all night, talking, and had slept well into the afternoon. Brady glanced over at the other end of the couch where Tanner slept peacefully, curled up like a cat.

Brady slid off the couch quietly, taking care not to wake Tanner, and crept into the kitchen. He made himself some coffee, slid on his flip-flops, then slipped out the door.

Once his eyes had adjusted to the sunlight, Brady headed toward the gazebo-like building where he stashed his surfboards. He took out the board he was currently designing and laid it out on his work table.

He had to finish the prototype before his meeting with a surfboard company in about a week. He was going to pitch the idea to them and, if they liked it, he'd be on his way to becoming a real surfboard designer.

The ocean breeze swept in through the open windows as Brady worked on the surfboard prototype. This was his favorite part of the day, aside from surfing. There was a knock on the door and Tanner entered.

"Hey," he said, walking into Brady's workshop. "Whatcha doing?"

Brady paused his work on the surfboard and looked up at Tanner. He was leaning against Brady's desk, his hands wrapped around a mug of coffee. His hair was adorably rumpled and Brady could tell that he had just woken up.

"I'm trying to finish this prototype," Brady explained. "I have a meeting with a big surfboard company next Tuesday."

Brady wasn't sure why he was telling this to Tanner. He didn't want to disappoint anybody if it didn't work out, so he tried to keep it a secret. He was planning to announce it to everyone after the meeting it if the company liked his idea.

"Wow, really?" Tanner asked, his eyes widening a little. "That's great, Brady."

"There's no guarantee," Brady reminded him, "but if they like it, it'll be a huge step for me."

Tanner picked up Brady's sketchbook and flipped through it. Normally, this kind of thing would make Brady flip out. He was the only person who'd ever seen that. Not even Mack was allowed to look at it. Strangely, Brady didn't even mind that Tanner was looking at his sketchbook.

In fact, Brady enjoyed watching Tanner look through his sketchbook. Brady loved the way Tanner's dark eyes scanned each page. He loved the way Tanner's forehead creased as he absorbed the diagrams and measurements written in Brady's careful handwriting.

Brady gave his head a slight shake to drive his thoughts away from the direction they were headed in. It was ridiculous to think he was in love with Tanner. He wasn't, was he? No, of course not. Brady was most definitely not in love with Tanner. There was no way in hell.

"These are amazing," Tanner said, shutting the sketchbook. "I mean it, Brady. The surfboard company would be a fool not to like these."

Tanner grinned at Brady, causing Brady's stomach to flip and his heart to flutter. Brady grinned back, feeling lighter than air. Brady wished this moment would never end. He wished he could forget about everything else going on in his life and just bask in the glow of Tanner's smile forever.

 _Shit,_ Brady thought. _I'm in love with Tanner._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Brady wasn't sure if the realization that he was in love with Tanner was a good thing or a bad thing. At least now he understood why he felt like this. Still, knowing that he was in love with his best friend didn't change anything. Tanner was still straight (at least Brady was pretty sure he was) and still with Lela.

Brady debated if he should tell Tanner or not. On one hand, Tanner could feel the same way. He'd break up with Lela and Brady would break up with Mack and everything would be perfect. On the other hand, it could completely ruin their friendship.

Brady didn't know what he'd do without Tanner in his life. Waking up and seeing Tanner was the highlight of Brady's day. He knew it was pathetic but he didn't really care. Tanner was the best thing in Brady's life.

Brady wondered how it had taken him so long to realize he loved Tanner. Looking back, he was clearly head-over-heels for Tanner ever since they met. How could he not be? Tanner was like the sun: warm, bright, and the center of Brady's universe.

A knock on the door interrupted Brady's train of thought. He pushed himself off the couch and headed towards the door. He flung it open, revealing Lela. Brady's heart dropped to his feet. He was sure that Lela had come back to steal Tanner away from him.

"Lela," he said. "Hi."

"Hi, Brady," she greeted. "Is Tanner here?"

"He's in the shower," he replied. "I'll tell him you stopped by."

Brady moved to shut the door but Lela stopped it with her hand. "Please, Brady. I need to talk to him."

"I can give him a message if you want."

"I need to talk to him in person," Lela clarified.

Brady sighed and opened the door all the way. "Come on in."

Lela sat on the couch and crossed her legs. Brady stood by the arm of the couch awkwardly, feeling out-of-place in his own home. That's the way he'd always felt around Lela. She was one of his closest friends but he always felt just a little out-of-place when he was near her.

Tanner came out of the bathroom then, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Brady's heart lurched painfully at the sight of him and he quickly averted his eyes. The last thing Brady wanted was to be caught staring at his best friend like that.

"What are you doing here, Lela?" Tanner asked, freezing when he saw her.

"We need to talk," Lela said.

Tanner nodded. "Yeah, we do. Let me put some clothes on first, though."

Tanner grabbed some clothes from his duffel bag by the couch and headed back into the bathroom. Brady knew what was going to happen next. They were going to talk it out and fix their issues. Then they'd be back together, as unstoppable as ever. Brady didn't want to be around for that.

"I'll let you two talk," Brady said, heading for the door.

"You can stay if you want," Lela said. "I don't want to kick you out of your own apartment. You don't have to leave."

Brady smiled though he felt like he was about to crumble into a million pieces. "Yes," he said, "I do."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Lela and Tanner were both gone from Brady's apartment when he got back. Brady collapsed on the couch and shut his eyes. He was right. Lela and Tanner's style had always been more loving than fighting.

 _Screw this,_ Brady thought.

He shouldn't be moping around, feeling sorry for himself. That was no way to spend his life. There was only one way to handle something like this and Brady knew exactly what that was.

Brady pushed himself off the couch and pulled on his shoes. He was about to leave when he noticed Tanner's duffel bag lying under the coffee table. Brady figured Tanner had just forgotten it in his rush to ditch Brady for Lela.

 _Screw him, too,_ Brady decided. _It's not my job to look out for his stuff._

Brady stomped out the door and climbed into his truck. Then he headed to the local night club. After all, what else are you supposed to do when your best friend ditches you for some girl?

Logically, Brady knew it wasn't Tanner's fault that he didn't love Brady the way Brady loved him. He knew it wasn't fair to blame Tanner for any of this but Brady couldn't help but feel betrayed by his friend's actions. What better to wash down the bitter taste it left in Brady's mouth than with the bitter taste of alcohol?

He parked his car at the club and headed inside. The evening was just beginning and the club was starting to fill up with couples grinding on the dance floor. That didn't stop Brady from noticing Tanner right away. He was sitting at the corner of the bar with a line of empty shot glasses in front of him.

Brady froze when he saw him. The fact that he was here instead of with Lela meant that they hadn't made up at all. This sent a burst of satisfaction through Brady, which he immediately felt bad about. Clearly Tanner was having a rough time.

"Hey, Tanner," Brady greeted, sitting down next to him at the bar.

Tanner's head snapped up. "Brady!" he exclaimed, clearly drunk. "How'd you get here?"

"How many beers have you had?" Brady asked, concerned. It was rare that Tanner ever got more than tipsy.

"Oh, I don't know," Tanner replied, his words slurring together. "They just keep giving me more. It's like magic!" His face turned suddenly serious. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Sure, buddy. Let's get out of here and head home, okay?"

Tanner shook his head. "No, I like it here."

"Come on," Brady said, taking Tanner's arm and guiding him out of the bar. "Let's go."

Digging his heels into the floor, Tanner cried out, "I don't want to go! I want to dance! Dance with me, Brady!"

Tanner grabbed Brady's hand and dragged him onto the crowded dance floor. Brady stumbled after Tanner, who was now flailing around in time to the music. Brady would have laughed if he wasn't in danger of getting hit by one of Tanner's arms.

"You're not dancing," Tanner pouted.

Brady's cheeks turned bright red as Tanner grabbed both of his hands and pulled himself closer. Brady couldn't believe this was actually happening. He just couldn't shake the feeling that this was wrong. Tanner was too drunk to be in control of his actions.

"Come on, Brady," Tanner whined, pulling Brady so close he could feel Tanner's breath on his face. It smelled like tequila. "Dance with me."

Tanner pressed his forehead against Brady's and the rest of Brady's resistance melted away. He might as well dance with Tanner. This was probably the closest he'd ever get to being in a relationship with him. He'd be a fool to not enjoy the moment while it lasts.

Just as suddenly as he had started, Tanner stopped dancing. Brady wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed when Tanner stepped away. At least Brady wouldn't do anything stupid now.

"I want a milkshake," Tanner said. "Can I have a milkshake? Please, Brady?"

Brady sighed. "Alright. Let's go get a milkshake."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Two hours later, Brady and Tanner were sat across from each other at the local diner. It had taken Brady that long to herd Tanner into the truck and keep him there long enough to complete the five-minute drive to the diner.

Now the challenge was keeping Tanner in his seat. He kept trying to wander off like he had been all night. They had a ten-minute detour just so Tanner could marvel at the complexity of Brady's shoelaces.

"What can I get for you boys?" the waitress asked.

Tanner was suddenly very quiet. He stared down at the table, avoiding eye contact with the waitress. The waitress, who clearly noticed Tanner's sudden shift in attitude, gave Brady a questioning look.

"I'll have a coffee," Brady said. "And just a water for him, please." The waitress left and Brady turned to Tanner. "So are you going to tell me what this is about or not?"

"What what's about?" Tanner asked.

"Why are you so drunk?" Brady asked. "Clearly something happened with Lela."

"Oh, that. Lela dumped me."

Brady felt bad for the rush of joy he felt. "I'm sorry, man. That sucks."

Tanner shrugged. "It was going to happen anyway."

"What do you mean?" Brady tried hard to keep from sounding too excited.

Tanner glanced around as if checking for people listening to their conversation. "I have a secret to tell you."

Brady's heart rate sped up. He knew he shouldn't get his hopes up but he couldn't help it. Was it possible that Tanner felt the same way Brady did? Tanner gestured for Brady to lean in, so he did.

Brady could feel Tanner's breath on his ear as he whispered, "Can I get some french fries too?"

"Sure, buddy," Brady said, trying to hide his disappointment.

The waitress came back over to deliver their orders and Brady asked her for an order of fries. Tanner took a sip of his water and scrunched up his face.

"This isn't a milkshake," he said.

"No, it's water," Brady explained. "It'll help you sober up."

Tanner shook his head wildly. "No. I feel good. Like, really good, Brady. I just need a milkshake. I love milkshakes."

"Just drink your water," Brady said. "Your fries are on the way."

This news seemed to cheer Tanner up considerably. He drank half the glass of water before the waitress delivered his french fries. Then he munched on those happily while Brady checked his phone for notifications.

He had two missed calls from Lela so he went to check his voicemail. She only left one message. He clicked on it and pressed the phone to his ear. Her panicked voice came through the line loudly.

"Brady, do you know where Tanner is? Are you with him? I'm really worried, Brady. I don't think he's doing too well. I've tried calling him five times but he hasn't picked up. Give me a call."

Brady called her back and she picked up on the first ring. "Brady?" she asked.

"Hey," he said. "Tanner's with me."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"What exactly happened between you two?"

"We got into a huge fight." Brady could hear the tears in her voice. "I stormed out and when I went back to apologize, he was gone. Both of you were."

"He said you dumped him."

Lela sighed. "I said some things I regret. We both did, I'm sure. You said you're with him right now. Can I speak to him?"

"Now's not a great time." Brady glanced over at Tanner, who was making his french fries talk to each other. "He's really drunk."

"Oh. Then tell him I'll stop by tomorrow, please."

"Sure," Brady said, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Thanks for looking out for him."

"Of course." Brady hung up the phone then.

Lela was Tanner's girlfriend. She should be taking care of him. Clearly she didn't care about Tanner as much as Brady did. He just wished Tanner saw that. Then again, Lela and Tanner were sort of broken up. Maybe Lela felt that Tanner wouldn't want to see her right now.

"Who was that?" Tanner asked. "Was it Mack? Was it Brady?" He giggled. "Wait, you're Brady. So who was on the phone?"

Brady forced a smile. "Nobody."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

It was one o'clock in the morning by the time Brady got Tanner back to his house. This task proved more difficult than getting him to the diner. Brady had to pull over to the side of the road on several occasions so that Tanner wouldn't puke in Brady's truck.

Keeping Tanner in the house was no easier than getting him there. Brady tried to get him to sleep on the couch but he kept trying to sneak out, insisting that he needed to go dancing. This was worse than the time Brady and Mack babysat Mack's cousin's toddler. At least the toddler was small enough for Brady to pick up and carry away from the door.

All Brady wanted was to sleep. The coffee he drank gave him a burst of energy but chasing after Tanner all night had tired him out again. If he could just get Tanner to stay in one place long enough to fall asleep then Brady would be able to get some rest.

"I don't want to sleep," Tanner whined. "I want to go dancing. Pleeeeaaaaase, Brady."

"Go to sleep," Brady ordered. "We'll go dancing in the morning."

After what seemed like forever, Tanner finally fell asleep. Brady settled in on the other couch and let his mind wander. It predictably wandered to Tanner. Specifically, Tanner and Lela.

Lela had said she'd said things she didn't mean. I guess that meant she didn't really want to break up with Tanner. Brady should have been happy for Tanner but he wasn't. He'd already lost Tanner to Lela too many times. After these days they'd spent together, Brady was sure that he couldn't lose him again.

Brady drifted to sleep slowly. When he woke up again, it was still dark. He wondered what had woken him then realized that Tanner wasn't on the couch. He shot to his feet and looked around frantically. Tanner was nowhere to be seen.

Brady nearly collapsed with relief when he heard the noise of Tanner puking coming from the bathroom. He shouldn't have been happy to hear this but at least it meant that Tanner wasn't wandering around by himself.

After filling a glass with water, Brady headed into the bathroom. Tanner wasn't puking anymore. Instead, he was sitting against the wall with his knees tucked against his chest and his face buried in his arms. He glanced up when Brady entered.

"Here," Brady said, offering him the glass of water.

Tanner took the glass with a small smile. "Thanks."

"There's Advil in here somewhere," Brady added, searching through the cabinet. "I figure you have a headache. You did a lot of shots."

Tanner could only manage a weak nod as Brady handed him the Advil. Then Brady sat down beside him, mimicking his posture.

"Care to explain?" Brady asked.

"I guess I owe you an explanation."

Brady shrugged. "That'd be good. Start from the beginning. What happened with Lela?"

"I knew right away that it wasn't going to end well. She wanted to talk about our relationship, which pretty much means we were going to break up. She said that she felt I didn't care enough. I argued and we got into a huge fight. She dumped me and stormed out. That's when I went to the bar."

Brady nodded. He knew the story from there. What he didn't know was how to respond. He couldn't think of anything to say that would accurately express his thoughts. _I'm sorry_ wasn't enough but _I'm hopelessly in love with you_ was a little too much.

"You deserve better," Brady said.

"I doubt it," Tanner replied glumly. "I was a terrible boyfriend."

Brady put his hand on Tanner's shoulder, turning him so that they were facing. "I mean it, Tanner. You deserve someone who cares about you. You deserve someone who goes out of their way to make you smile. You deserve someone who treats you like the amazing person you are."

Tanner mumbled an incoherent thanks as Brady took a deep breath. He knew this was the moment. The moment he confessed his love. The moment everything changed.

"You deserve someone who loves you," Brady said, squeezing his eyes shut and summoning the courage. "Someone like me."

Brady couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. Tanner wasn't saying anything. That was a bad thing, right? Or maybe Tanner was trying to figure out an appropriate response to show how excited he was.

Gathering up all of his strength, Brady glanced over at Tanner. He didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed to find that Tanner was sleeping soundly. Sighing, Brady got up, grabbed a blanket from the couch, and draped over Tanner's shoulders. Then Brady placed a gentle kiss on Tanner's forehead and headed to bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Despite how late he was up, Brady woke up early the next morning. He was sure of one thing: he had to figure out a way to stop Lela from speaking to Tanner. Brady was sure that they'd get back together if they sat down and talked it out. That was something Brady couldn't allow.

Was it wrong for Brady to interfere in their relationship like this? Absolutely. Did this make him a terrible best friend? Probably. Was that going to stop him? Definitely not. The question wasn't _if_ Brady was going to prevent them from getting back together, it was _how._

Lela had said that she'd stop by the house today. That meant that all Brady and Tanner had to do to avoid her was stay out of the house all day. She couldn't stop by to talk to Tanner if Tanner wasn't there.

Brady was awake for another two hours or so before Tanner finally woke up. He looked just as bad as he did last night, only worse. Tanner's hair was sticking up all over and there were shadows under his eyes. He looked a few days past dead.

"Rough night?" Brady joked, handing Tanner a cup of the coffee that he'd just made.

Tanner took the coffee with a grateful smile. "You don't know the half of it."

"I was thinking of heading down to the beach today," Brady said, trying to put his get-Tanner-out-of-the-house plan into action. "Want to come?"

"Thanks for the offer but last time I checked, loud places and hangovers don't mix very well."

"Aww, come on," Brady pouted. If he didn't get Tanner out of the house, everything would be ruined. "Just take some Advil and you'll be fine. The fresh air might even help your hangover." Tanner looked unconvinced so Brady decided it was time to turn the charm on. "If you come, I'll buy you ice cream."

Tanner's expression brightened considerably. "Why didn't you just say so?"

Brady laughed. "So it's true then, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." He froze, fighting a blush at what he just said, and hastily changed the topic. "I'm going to go get dressed. You should shower or something."

"Geez, Brady. If you think I smell bad, say it to my face."

Brady wrinkled his nose. "Tanner, you smell bad. Like, really bad. You smell like tequila and vomit."

"Wow, Casanova. Way to seduce me with your words."

Brady could feel his face heating up as he tried to look anywhere but Tanner's eyes. Just like many times before, this didn't work out. Brady found his eyes inevitably drawn to Tanner's steady gaze.

"You wish," Brady scoffed, trying to hide how flustered he was. "If I was going to seduce you with my words, you wouldn't stand a chance. You'd be mine in ten seconds flat."

Tanner quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh, really?"

Brady silently cursed himself for getting into this situation. "Yeah, really," he said out loud, hoping to escape this conversation with his dignity intact.

Tanner leaned forwards, his face mere inches from Brady's. "Prove it."

"Prove it?" Brady tried to keep his voice from shaking.

"You heard me. If you're so good at seducing people, then seduce me."

Brady couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Tanner really asking Brady to seduce him? He was kidding, right? He had to be. Brady just had to handle this whole thing as if it was a joke.

"I'll have to take a raincheck on that," Brady said, playfully shoving Tanner away. "Your breath stinks way too much for me to even consider seducing you."

"This isn't over," Tanner said, heading towards the bathroom. He stopped before he went in and turned around. "I just have to wash the stink of vomit off of me and then you'll see. I'm a real keeper." Then he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Brady to wonder if he was teasing or not.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The beach was crowded, which didn't surprise Brady. There was some big festival in town that brought in a lot of tourists. Various tents and vendors stretched out along the pier and the smell of fried food made Brady's stomach growl.

Ignoring the tempting smells, Brady focused on waxing his surfboard. Now was the time for surfing, though he figured that he and Tanner would end up at the festival eventually. After all, he did owe Tanner an ice cream cone.

The two boys surfed until the sun began to set and their empty stomachs forced them to stop. Exhausted, they towed their surfboards onto the beach. They left the boards on the surfboard rack and headed to the pier where the festival was located.

"Where to?" Brady asked. "Any booths you want to check out?"

"If I recall correctly," Tanner mused, "you owe me an ice cream cone."

"Are you sure about that?" Brady teased, a grin forming on his face. "I don't remember any such debt."

Tanner shoved him playfully. "Hey, you promised."

"Ice cream it is, then."

They headed to an ice cream cart parked on the edge of the pier. Brady ordered two ice cream cones—both of them _very_ overpriced—and handed one to Tanner. Then both boys sat down at the end of the pier, letting their legs dangle off the edge.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly caused this fight between you and Lela?" Brady asked cautiously. "You said it was because you were too distant, but as far as I can tell you've always been that way with Lela. What set her off?"

Tanner was silent for a while before replying. "We've been together for three years, as you know. I guess Lela started to expect certain things from me. Things I wasn't really prepared to give her."

"She wanted you to propose?"

"Not exactly." Tanner's face became a deep shade of red and he looked down at the water. "Lela and I have never, uh, you know."

Brady choked on his ice cream cone. "You haven't?"

Tanner looked mortified. "Uh, no. At first we both wanted to wait, to take things slowly, you know? Then after a while, Lela wanted to take things to the next step and I didn't. It just didn't feel right. Now I'm worried it's because Lela isn't really the one for me."

"Wow," he said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He tried to ignore the satisfaction he felt. "I would've thought you two would've, um, done it."

"Shut up," Tanner snapped defensively.

Brady raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm not making fun of you. I think it's fine that you haven't... yeah."

The situation had become unbearably awkward. Both boys looked for something to say that would relieve some of the awkwardness. Brady stood up, needing to get away from the situation.

"We should probably head back," he said. "It's getting dark."

"Yeah," Tanner agreed, eager for something else to talk about. "Can we just pretend this conversation never happened?"

"What conversation?" Brady joked.

Things returned to normal fairly quickly after that as they walked back to Brady's house. However, Brady couldn't just forget that conversation. It had given him a small glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Tanner felt the same way about him.

Brady fished his keys out of his pocket as they approached the door to his house. As he fumbled to unlock the door, Tanner leaned against the doorframe.

"Thanks," he said. He was so close that they'd be almost nose-to-nose if Brady turned to face him.

"Don't thank me," Brady said. He knew that if he turned to face Tanner, he'd end up kissing him. "I owed you that ice cream, fair and square."

"Not just for that." At Tanner's words, Brady turned to face him, knowing very well what he might do. "Thanks for getting me out of the house. Ever since this whole thing with Lela, I've been kinda down-in-the-dumps. Thanks for helping me snap out of it."

They were so close. It'd be so easy for Brady to just lean in and kiss Tanner. He could do it. He could end the constant speculation. He could find out if he and Tanner were meant to be or not. All he had to do was lean in.

This time, however, Tanner's eyes flickered down to Brady's lips. Brady felt like he couldn't breathe. This couldn't be real. As Tanner slowly leaned in, Brady was sure his heart would explode. He wondered what Tanner's lips would feel like.

Suddenly, the door swung open, casting a bright light over them. Both boys jumped back, avoiding each other's eyes. Brady turned towards the door, using his hand to block out some of the light.

"Mack," he said, feigning a casual tone.

Mack smiled. "Hello, Brady."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"What are you doing here?" Brady asked, trying to contain the panic in his voice. "You're not supposed to be back for another three days."

"Try not to sound so excited," Mack replied sarcastically.

"I, uh, I just thought that, uh," Brady stuttered.

Mack cut him off. "I came back early because I missed you." She placed her hand on his arm and tugged him closer, pressing her body against his.

"I should probably go," Tanner said, turning to leave.

"No," Brady protested a bit too quickly, reaching out to stop Tanner from leaving. "I mean, you don't have to. Mi casa es su casa, right? Besides, where would you go?"

"Actually, I think Lela is looking for you," Mack said. "I ran into her on my way here and she said that she needed to talk to you."

Brady tried not to panic as his plan crumbled to pieces before his eyes. Everything had been just the way he wanted it. He had kept Tanner away from Lela all day and now everything was ruined because of Mack.

Brady's mind searched frantically for a way to fix this. There had to be _something_ he could do to turn the situation around. All hope had seemed lost when Lela came by this morning but Brady had managed to fix that. Surely he could fix this.

All his hope evaporated, however, when Tanner turned to leave. Clearly what Brady said wasn't enough to keep Tanner here. Brady tried to send him a message with his eyes but Tanner was avoiding eye-contact.

Breathing a sigh of resignation, Brady turned to face Mack. "So, how was your vacation?"

"It was great!" Mack exclaimed.

Brady couldn't bring himself to pay attention as Mack prattled on about all the fun she'd had while she was away. All he could think about was the dejected look on Tanner's face when he turned and walked away.

Brady was sure that Tanner had been about to kiss him. If they had only had a minute more, things would have turned out very differently. If only Mack had stayed away for just one more day.

Logically, Brady knew it was wrong to think about Mack like that. She was his girlfriend, after all. But Brady wasn't sure he wanted to be with her anymore. The thought of being with Mack paled in comparison to what he could have with Tanner.

"Are you okay?" Mack asked, interrupting Brady's train of thought. "You seem different."

"I'm fine," Brady replied stiffly.

Mack narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure? Does this have to do with Tanner?" Brady stiffened at the mention of Tanner's name. "Are you two fighting or something?"

Brady shook his head. "No. Why would you think that?"

Mack shrugged. "I'm not really sure. Something just seemed different between you two. Either you're fighting or there is some serious chemistry going on."

Mack burst out laughing as if the idea were ridiculous and Brady stared at the floor, trying to hide his blush. Brady doubted she'd be laughing like that if she knew how close to the truth she'd gotten.

"But that'd be ridiculous," Mack continued, still laughing. "I mean, you and Tanner? Never in a million years."

Brady mustered up a weak chuckle. "When pigs fly, maybe."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Brady woke up to the sound of an alarm clock, which was rare. Normally, he preferred to wake up naturally but today was different. Today he had to be on-time to the meeting where he would pitch his surfboard prototype.

Mack woke up even earlier than Brady did and was out of the house by the time he woke up. Brady didn't mind. In fact, he'd grown to enjoy waking up and not seeing her, though that might have been because he saw Tanner instead.

Brady quickly put on a t-shirt and his nicest pair of boardshorts before slipping on his flip flops and heading out the door. He decided to skip coffee today; he already had enough nervous energy.

He gathered up the surfboard prototype and left his workshop to put it into the truck. To his dismay, the truck wasn't in the driveway. Mack must have taken it to work without telling him.

Glancing at his watch, Brady began to panic. He had twenty minutes to get there and it would take him thirty to walk. He knew he shouldn't blame Mack for this—after all, she couldn't have known that he'd need the truck today—but he couldn't help but be a little angry at her.

Things had been going so well for Brady without her in the picture. He was able to finish the prototype and he and Tanner grew closer. Now that Mack was back, she had cut him off from Tanner and was going to make him late for his meeting.

Brady was struck by an idea. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed Tanner's number. The fact that he knew it by heart was irrelevant.

"Hello?" Tanner answered. He sounded like he just got out of bed.

Ignoring the pang of guilt for waking him, Brady said, "Hey, it's me. I need a huge favor."

Brady could hear shuffling in the background before Tanner responded. "Anything for you. What do you need?"

"You know that meeting I have scheduled?"

"The one with the surfboard company?"

"Yeah. Mack took the truck and I need a ride. It's in twenty minutes and I'd be late if I walked."

There was more shuffling in the background. "I'll be there in five," Tanner said, then hung up before Brady could reply.

Five minutes later, Tanner pulled up to the curb beside Brady's house in an old station wagon. Brady loaded the surfboard in the back then hopped in the front beside Tanner.

"Who's car is this?" Brady asked. Last time he checked, Tanner didn't own a station wagon.

"It's my mom's," Tanner admitted. "My car doesn't have enough space to fit your surfboard."

"Thanks for getting here so quickly."

"It's the least I could do, considering that I've been crashing at your house for the past week."

Brady knew that he should ask about how Tanner's talk with Lela went but he struggled to voice the question. Not knowing was better than hearing about how they made up and were back to being the perfect, indestructible couple.

Bracing himself for bad news, Brady asked, "So, how did things go with Lela?"

"I wouldn't know," Tanner replied, shrugging. "I stayed at my parent's house last night instead of talking to Lela." This caused Brady's heart to soar. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk to her. I don't really know what'd I'd say."

Brady was spared having to come up with a response due to the fact that they had just arrived at the meeting. Tanner parked the car and helped Brady unload his surfboard from the trunk.

"Thanks for the ride," Brady said.

"No problem," Tanner responded. "I'll wait for you out here."

"You really don't have to do that."

Tanner smiled, causing Brady's heart to melt. "I know I don't have to but I want to. Good luck in there."

Brady smiled back before turning and heading inside to face his destiny. His nervous energy had faded away. He knew that even if the meeting didn't go well, Tanner would be there to support him. And that would always be enough for Brady.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Forty minutes later, Brady walked back out into the parking lot, surfboard in tow. He lugged the surfboard to the station wagon, where he loaded it in the back and climbed in the passenger seat.

"How'd it go?" Tanner asked, turning to face Brady.

Brady grinned. "Really well, I think. They want me to come back in two days to present the idea to the owner of the company."

"That's great!" Tanner replied enthusiastically, waving his arms in the air to show his excitement. "I mean, really, Brady. That's amazing!"

"Thanks," Brady replied sheepishly.

"That settles it," Tanner said, putting the station wagon in reverse. "We're going to get popsicles to celebrate."

"Popsicles? Really?"

"What's wrong with popsicles?" Tanner asked defensively.

"Nothing." Brady couldn't help but smile. "Popsicles are fine."

Tanner drove to a small popsicle stand on the edge of the beach. Brady started to get out his wallet but Tanner insisted on paying. They left their shoes in the station wagon and walked along the beach, enjoying their popsicles.

The festival was still at the pier so they decided to go to it again. After retrieving their shoes and throwing away their popsicle sticks, they headed to the pier. In the time since their last visit, a Ferris wheel had been set up.

"Definitely not," Brady said once Tanner suggested going on it.

"Why not?" Tanner whined. "I love Ferris wheels."

"Then go on it by yourself," Brady replied. "I hate them."

"How can you hate the Ferris wheel?"

"One: I'm afraid of heights," Brady said, listing his objections on his fingers. "Two: that was put up in under twenty-four hours, so it definitely _not_ stable. And three: I enjoy _not dying on flimsy metal contraptions._ "

Tanner pouted. "Come on. Please?"

Brady sighed, knowing he would regret his next words. "Fine. We'll go on the Ferris wheel. But if I die, I'm coming back as a ghost to haunt you."

"I look forward to it," Tanner said, grinning victoriously as he dragged Brady towards his impending doom.

"Also, you're paying," Brady added, trying to calm his nerves.

Tanner agreed and the two boys got in line, though Brady was less than excited about the situation. It took all his effort to keep from running in the opposite direction. He wondered briefly if Tanner would still force him to ride the Ferris wheel if he passed out.

As they boarded the Ferris wheel, Brady couldn't help but feel as if he were a criminal walking towards the electric chair. He knew he was being a tad bit overdramatic but he couldn't help it. Carnival rides scared the crap out of him.

The Ferris wheel operator lowered the bar, trapping Brady and Tanner in the metal death trap. Soon, a flimsy metal bar would be the only thing preventing them from falling to their deaths. Brady squeezed his eyes shut and hoped it would be over soon.

"It'll be fine," Tanner assured him as the ride started to move. "Don't be such a baby."

Brady gripped the metal guardrail so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "How is not wanting to put my life in the hands of a flimsy piece of metal being a baby?" Brady snapped, gritting his teeth.

"We're perfectly safe up here," Tanner argued. "Trust me, there are a ton of safety codes for these things."

"That isn't going to stop me from plummeting to my death," Brady muttered.

The Ferris wheel slowed to a stop, causing their seat to rock back and forth. Brady cautiously opened one eye and saw Tanner grinning at him.

"See?" Tanner said. "We're fine. As long as you don't look down, it'll be—"

At the words _look down_ Brady cast his eyes downward then immediately wished he hadn't. They were at the top of the wheel, hanging over thin air with only cheap metal bars to support them.

"Oh no, ohhhhhh no," Brady gasped, gripping the guardrail even tighter. "This was a huge mistake."

"Brady, calm down," Tanner said, resting his hand on Brady's arm.

Brady turned to look at Tanner but ignored his words. "Why did I let you convince me to do this? God, I'm so stupid. I should never have come up here in the first place and now I'm going to die up here. I'm never even—"

Before Brady could even process what was happening, Tanner crashed his lips into Brady's. Brady's eyes drifted shut instinctively as he placed a hand on the side of Tanner's face to pull him closer.

Brady thought his heart might burst but he didn't care. Maybe he'd fallen to death and was in heaven now. That was fine with him. All he cared about was the feeling of Tanner's lips against his and the butterflies exploding in his stomach.

In that moment, Brady decided that maybe Ferris wheels weren't so bad after all.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"Wow," Brady said as Tanner jerked away suddenly.

His voice cracked embarrassingly but he couldn't be bothered to care. He had just kissed Tanner. Or, more accurately, _Tanner_ had kissed _him._ Brady's head spun with this strange new turn of events. He hadn't even allowed himself to image this scenario so he had no idea what to do now.

Finding his voice, Brady asked, "What just happened?"

Tanner ran a hand through his hair, clearly shaken by this development. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

Brady's heart sunk at his best friend's words. Clearly, Tanner regretted doing that. That meant that he didn't feel the way Brady felt about him. The fact that he had done it in the first place contradicted that, however. Maybe there was something there after all.

"I'm not even gay," Tanner said, laughing harshly. "At least, I thought so.." He turned to Brady, a desperate look in his eyes. "Does it make me gay if I want to kiss you again?"

"Wanting to kiss another dude is probably considered gay," Brady replied shakily, his heartbeat speeding up.

Brady felt Tanner glance over at him. Abandoning all thought, Brady reached over, grabbed the collar of Tanner's shirt, and pulled him in for another kiss. Tanner responded immediately, cupping Brady's face in his hands.

 _Yep,_ Brady thought. _I'm definitely dead._

"Well, shit," Tanner breathed once they pulled away again. "I guess I'm gay."

"Welcome to the club," Brady said, a large grin spreading across his face.

The Ferris wheel slowed to a stop again and the operator gestured for them to get off. Tanner and Brady staggered off, both amazed by what had happened. Of all the things Brady had thought might happen on the Ferris wheel, getting kissed by Tanner was definitely not one of them.

Brady couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as the two boys walked back to the beach. He sat down next to Tanner, the whole time feeling like he might burst from excitement. At one point, he even had to remind himself to breathe.

He truly couldn't believe what had happened. He hadn't dared to let himself hope for this. He was sure that it was impossibility. But here he was, sitting beside Tanner, holding his hand. Brady wondered if maybe dreams do come true.

"What now?" Brady asked..

"I don't know and I don't really care as long as you're here." Tanner turned to Brady suddenly. "Let's run away together."

Brady laughed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm serious."

Brady looked over at Tanner. "No, you're not."

"Come on," Tanner argued, a grin creeping onto his face. "We could just leave everything behind. Just you and me. We can see the world. Don't you want that?"

"What about everything else? What about your job? What about my meeting with the surfboard company? As much as I'd love to run away with you, the real world won't just go away."

A determined look had crept into Tanner's eyes. "You're meeting with the surfboard company in two days, right?" Brady nodded. "Okay, so we'll leave after that."

"We can't," Brady protested half-heartedly.

"Of course we can. I already work from my computer. As long as I have wifi, I'm good to go. And you don't need to be present for the surfboard company to sell your board. There's no reason that we can't just leave."

Brady pursed his lips, considering the offer. Sure, it was tempting. Running away with Tanner sounded like a brilliant idea on paper but would it actually work out? Could Brady really toss aside his current life and just leave?

"Brady," Tanner said, scrambling onto one knee. "Will you run away with me?"

Brady grinned and said the only thing he could think of. "I'd love to."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

There was sand in Brady's eye when he woke up, which was truly one of the worst things to wake up to. Blinking furiously and rubbing his eyes, Brady sat up and glanced around. Lying next to him was a still-sleeping Tanner, which was truly the best thing to wake up to.

The two boys had laid on the beach and talked for hours. Eventually, they had drifted off to sleep, soaking in the warmth of the sun and each other's company. The sun was almost set now, coloring the sky with streaks of red and pink.

"Hey," Brady whispered, nudging Tanner.

Tanner stirred but didn't open his eyes. "Hmm?" he asked, still half-asleep.

"Wake up," Brady said. "It's time to go."

Tanner said nothing. He was either ignoring Brady or he fell asleep again. Brady heard a few soft snores coming from him and figured it was the latter. Though he was already pretty close to Tanner, Brady scooted closer, nuzzling his face in the crook of Tanner's neck.

"You," he murmured, placing a kiss just below Tanner's jaw, "have no idea," he placed another kiss, further down Tanner's neck, "how long I have wanted," he placed one more at Tanner's collarbone, "to do this."

"You're really good at waking people up," Tanner mumbled sleepily, shifting to face Brady.

Brady grinned. "Yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Tanner replied, his eyes slipping shut again. He slung his arm around Brady, pulling himself closer and burying his face in Brady's shoulder.

"Seriously, though," Brady said, using all his willpower to slip out from under Tanner's arm. "We have to go. It's getting late."

Tanner groaned. "Just five more minutes."

"Come on." Brady tugged on one of Tanner's arms. "It's going to be dark soon."

"Fine," Tanner grumbled, pushing himself onto his feet. He slipped his hand into Brady's as the two boys headed to the station wagon.

The car ride back to Brady's house was filled with comfortable silence. Once they arrived, Tanner stopped the car and turned to face Brady.

"I'm gonna miss you," Tanner said.

Brady laughed. "I'll probably see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, but I'll still miss you."

"Just think, in two days, we'll be driving off into the sunset."

Tanner sighed. "You're right. It isn't going to make telling Leila any easier, though."

Brady's stomach dropped at the thought of telling Mack that he was leaving her for Tanner. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. I doubt Mack will take it too well. I bet she'll kick me out of the house."

Tanner grimaced. "We can always get a hotel room. Or we can sleep in the car. Think of it as practice for when we're on the road."

"I guess." Brady leaned over and kissed Tanner softly before climbing out of the station wagon. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Tanner called as Brady shut the door and got his surfboard out of the back. "I have a feeling you're gonna need it."

Brady's heart pounded as he waved goodbye to Tanner and headed inside to face Mack. He just hoped that Mack would understand. It wasn't fair to either of them to continue this relationship any longer, not if he didn't feel the same way that she felt for him.

"Hi, honey," Mack greeted when he walked in. Brady tried not to flinch at her affectionate tone. "Where've you been all day?"

"Oh, I've just been hanging out with Tanner." Brady wiped his sweaty palms on his boardshorts. "Actually, I kind of need to talk to you about that."

"What's wrong?" Mack asked, looking up from the book she was reading and noticing Brady's nervous demeanor. "Is everything alright with Tanner?"

Brady opened his mouth to say something and then hesitated. Suddenly, the plans he made with Tanner seemed foolish and silly. They seemed like the half-planned delusions of a child, nothing more than a fantasy.

What Brady had with Mack was safe, secure. He knew where he stood with Mack. They got along. Brady loved her at one point, surely he could love her again if he really tried. He just wasn't putting enough effort into their relationship.

Was Brady really sure that Tanner was what he wanted? Or was what he thought he had with Tanner just an infatuation? Surely it wouldn't last like his relationship with Mack had. Brady was just caught up in the moment. He hadn't taken time to think about it and he had made a dumb decision as a result.

"Brady?" Mack asked, interrupting his frantic thoughts. "What were you going to say about Tanner?"

Brady forced a smile, feeling like he was betraying a piece of himself. "Nevermind," he said. "It's not important."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

It was 2:00 in the afternoon and Brady was more confused than ever. He'd opted to stay in bed all day and pretended to be asleep whenever Mack was in the room. Though he'd made his decision, he couldn't help but feel guilty and remorseful whenever he thought of how to tell Tanner.

Speaking of which, Brady had already ignored three of Tanner's calls. He was afraid that if he heard Tanner's voice, he'd be swept off his feet and make another foolish decision. Brady couldn't help but wonder, however, if the decision was truly foolish if choosing the "right" thing made him feel so miserable.

His phone rang again and Brady grabbed it off the nightstand, intent on checking the caller ID. He knew it was probably either Mack or Tanner and he didn't really want to talk to either of them. When he looked at the screen, he was surprised to see that it was neither of them.

"Hello?" Brady asked.

"Hey Brady," a familiar voice answered. "It's Giggles."

"Giggles, hi. What's up?"

Brady was surprised, to say the least. He hadn't heard from Giggles in nearly two years. The last time he saw her was when the whole gang got together to bid farewell to her and Cheechee before they moved to Europe. Though Giggles's voice was still as perky and upbeat as he remembered, he could tell she had grown up a lot.

"Did you hear about Lela and Tanner?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah," he replied sheepishly.

"I can't believe it!" she cried before he could say anything else. "I mean, just wow! Usually my gaydar is pretty accurate but I never suspected Tanner! Do you have any idea who this mystery man is? Lela said he refused to tell her anything other than that he's gay and leaving her for another man."

"Um, about that," Brady said, grimacing, "I'm pretty sure I'm the cause of that."

Brady and Giggles had developed enough of a friendship for him to know she was exceptionally good at keeping secrets. Brady trusted her enough to confide in her, though the silence on the other end of the line was making him uneasy.

"Oh my god," she finally said. "Oh. My. God."

"Yeah," was all Brady could manage.

It was silent for another minute or so until Giggles managed to gather her thoughts. "Okay, wow. So, you and Tanner are together now." She sounded a bit faint, as if she could hardly believe it. "Congratulations?"

Brady sighed. "Not exactly."

"Uh oh," Giggles said, her voice considerably less cheery. " What happened?"

Brady took a deep breath and debated how much he should tell her. That was pointless, however, because when he opened his mouth to say something, the whole story came tumbling out. He told her everything and she listened silently.

"So, you don't love Mack?" Giggles asked when he was done.

"I do," Brady protested, "but not in the way I should. Not in the way she deserves."

"Well, it's obvious what you need to do, isn't it?"

Brady rolled his eyes. "If it were obvious, I wouldn't be in this situation."

Giggles laughed. "Okay, smartypants. Seriously, though. If you love Mack and want what's best for her, you need to tell her the truth. Clearly, you'd be much happier with Tanner. Give Mack the chance to move on and find her own happiness with someone else."

"How'd you get to be so wise, Giggles?"

"Believe me, I wasn't always this way. I guess it's just that I've been in your position before. I mean, Cheechee and I went through a lot of the same stuff as you and Tanner are going through right now. It worked out for us, though. I hope it works out for you, too."

"Thanks." Brady glanced at the clock. An hour had passed but he had finally made up his mind. "I should probably go now. I have a lot to do if I want to fix this situation."

"Good luck with that!" Giggles said cheerfully. "Call me once you sort everything out. I'd love to hear how it turns out. And if you're ever in the area, be sure to stop by. Cheechee and I got a dog!"

"Alright, bye, Giggles," Brady said before hanging up the phone.

Brady tossed aside the covers and stood up, feeling considerably better. Talking with Giggles had really helped clear his mind and look at the situation from a new perspective. He knew what he had to do, he just hoped Mack wouldn't hate him too much.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

A knock on the door interrupted Brady's thoughts. He had been sitting on the couch, trying to think of a way to tell Mack he was leaving her for Tanner that wouldn't end in her crying, screaming, or throwing something at him.

Brady pulled himself off the couch and towards the door. He figured Mack had just forgotten her keys, which she did quite often. Pulling open the door, Brady was surprised to see Tanner standing there rather than Mack.

"Oh, hi," Brady greeted in surprise, stepping aside to let Tanner in.

"Hey," Tanner replied, walking into the house. "I've been calling you all day but you never picked up. Is everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Brady knew he should tell Tanner that he hadn't told Mack yet, he just didn't know how.

Tanner grimaced sympathetically. "That rough, huh?"

"Huh?" Brady asked stupidly, unsure what Tanner was talking about.

"I had a feeling Mack wouldn't take it too well," Tanner continued, unfazed by Brady's response. "Lela took it surprisingly well. She got angry, of course, but I explained that it's for the best. After all, there's no point in continuing a relationship neither of us are happy in, right?"

"Uh huh."

"But don't worry, we'll be gone from here tomorrow. It'll be great, don't you think? Just us out on the open road. Nobody to hold us back."

"About that," Brady began, fully intending to tell Tanner about Mack.

But Brady hesitated, looking at the smile on Tanner's face. Why should he ruin his mood with an unnecessary complication? Brady would tell Mack as soon as she got home. Tanner would never have to know about Brady's doubts. It'd be better for everyone that way.

"Brady?" Tanner interrupted Brady's train of thought.

"Yeah?" Brady asked.

Tanner rolled his eyes. "You were saying?"

"I was just going to say that I think we should head to Arizona first. I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon."

Tanner smiled, pulling Brady onto the couch next to him. "Arizona sounds great."

Brady smiled, shutting his eyes and resting his head on Tanner's shoulder. It was hardly ever this peaceful so Brady kept quiet, enjoying the silence. He was drifting off to sleep when he heard the sound he least wanted to hear.

Dread filled him as he heard a car pull into the driveway. He doubted it was Lela, which left only one option. Mack was back and Tanner was still in the house.

Scrambling off the couch, Brady glanced around frantically. There wasn't enough time for Tanner to leave which meant he'd have to hide somewhere in the apartment. But that would give away the fact that he hadn't told Mack yet.

Glancing around frantically for a place to hide Tanner, Brady heard Mack fumbling outside for her keys. Almost in slow motion, he heard the lock click and watched with mounting dread as the door swung open.

"You'll never guess what Lela told me about Tanner," Mack said, walking into the house. She froze at the sight of Tanner on the couch, her face heating up in an embarrassed blush. "Oh, hey, Tanner."

Tanner looked at Brady, seeking an explanation for Mack's civil behaviour, but Brady avoided his gaze. Mack stood awkwardly at the edge of the room, glancing between the two. Suddenly, Tanner's confused expression settled into an angry one.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" he asked, his voice flat and emotionless.

Brady squirmed. "I, um-"

"Tell me what, Brady?" Mack interrupted, confused. When Brady didn't answer, her voice hardened. "I said, tell me what?"

Glancing between the two, Brady realized just how screwed he was. In the metaphorical sense, of course. Brady doubted either one of them would be very willing to make it literal after this confrontation.

"Go ahead, Brady," Tanner snapped coldly. "Tell her."

"Yeah, Brady. Tell me."

Both turned to Brady, glaring angrily, while Brady's mind raced. There had to be a way out of this. He could accept Mack being angry with him but he feared he may have just lost Tanner.

"I can explain," Brady said quickly.

"Do try," Tanner said dryly. "I'd like to see you weasel your way out of this one."

"Mack," Brady said, turning to the furious brunette. "This just isn't working out. I didn't want you to find out like this but I'm kinda in love with Tanner. We're going to run away together."

"Think again, buddy," Tanner said, his voice shaking with barely-controlled fury. With a parting glare, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

"You're gay?" Mack's voice was just below a scream. "You're gay and you weren't even going to bother to tell me? You were just going to skip town on me, huh? Leave me wondering where the hell you'd gone?"

"Mack-"

"Go," Mack snapped. "Get out of my house and don't ever come back. I'll leave your stuff in the shed. You can get it in a few hours."

"Mack, I'm sorry."

"Save it, Brady. Just go."

With an apologetic look, Brady turned and headed outside. There he was faced by an even-angrier Tanner. Brady had to resist the urge to run as Tanner stormed towards him.

"You," he hissed, jabbing his finger at Brady's chest. "You lied to me."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses," Tanner interrupted. "I'm done, okay? Forget this entire thing. I should have known it wouldn't work out."

"Tanner!" Brady called as Tanner walked away.

Tanner didn't respond. Instead, he climbed in his car, slammed the door shut, and drove away. Brady sat down on the porch steps and watched him go, feeling the most alone he'd ever felt in his life


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Brady had messed everything up. Just a week ago, he had had a loving girlfriend, a best friend, and a nice house. Now, he had been dumped by his girlfriend and had been kicked out of the house. Worse than that, he had lost Tanner.

 _Rock bottom,_ Brady thought glumly as his call went to Tanner's voicemail again. _Population: me._

"Hey, Tanner," Brady said. "It's me again. I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now. I'm really sorry. I meant to tell Mack, I just didn't know how. Just- just call me back, okay?"

Brady hung up the phone with a defeated sigh then packed the last of his things into the back of his truck. True to her word, Mack had shoved all of his belongings into the shed for him to collect. She had even given him the truck, though Brady supposed it was only fair since she got the house.

Speaking of which, Brady currently had no place to stay. He knew he needed to find somewhere to sleep but he didn't even know where to begin. He was homeless, directionless, and completely alone.

Glancing at his watch, he realized with a start that his meeting with the surfboard company was in fifteen minutes. He had completely forgotten about it because of everything that happened and he really didn't want to go. Still, this was important. He'd need money if he wanted to get an apartment.

Ten minutes later, Brady was waiting nervously in the lobby of the surfboard company with his prototype tucked under his arm. A few of the people in the lobby were giving him strange looks but most of them ignored him.

Despite his nerves, Brady couldn't help but think about what had happened with Tanner. He'd been so stupid. If he had just told Mack yesterday, none of this would have happened. He had to find a way to make Tanner see how truly sorry he was.

Brady was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear the man calling his name. He hastily stood up, grabbed his prototype, and walked over to shake the man's hand. The man introduced himself but Brady was too distracted to catch his name.

The man led Brady to the conference room that he was in the first time he pitched the prototype. Glancing around at the group of people seated around the table, Brady took a deep breath. He could do this. He had done this before, it was no big deal.

Suddenly, all Brady could think about was two days ago when Tanner had dropped him off. He could picture Tanner's smile when he wished Brady luck. Brady remembered the way his nerves seemed to fade away.

"Sometime today, please," one of the businessmen said in a bored tone, snapping Brady out of his reverie.

"Right," Brady muttered sheepishly, his face growing hot. "Um, the great thing about this board is, uh…"

But Brady couldn't remember what the great thing about the board was, nor did he care. The only thing he could remember was the way Tanner's eyes had lit up when he spoke about their future. The only thing he cared about was making sure he didn't lose Tanner.

"I have to go," Brady mumbled to himself, realizing what he needed to do.

"What was that?" a different businessman asked.

"I have to go," Brady said, louder this time, before turning and running out the door.

He heard one of the businessmen squawk indignantly but Brady didn't care. He didn't care that he might have just thrown away his entire future and he definitely didn't care that he left the prototype in there. All he cared about was finding Tanner.

Brady flung himself into his truck and twisted the key in the ignition. Before he could stop to think about how insane this was, he sped out of the parking lot. He didn't know where Tanner would be but Brady knew he'd find him somehow.

"Ready or not, Tanner," Brady said to himself, vaguely aware of how crazy he sounded. "Here I come."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Tanner, as it turned out, was staying with his mom. Brady found this out after calling everyone he could think of that might know of Tanner's location. When Brady drove to Tanner's mom's house, however, she told him that Tanner was at the grocery store picking up a few things for dinner.

That was how Brady ended up sitting in the parking lot of Giant Eagle fifteen minutes later. He couldn't remember ever being this nervous to walk into a grocery store. His heart felt like it was going to pound its way out of his chest and he was pretty sure his hands would have been shaking if he released them from his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.

Feeling as if he might throw up, Brady forced himself to get out of the truck and walk into the grocery store. He mentally prepared himself for how Tanner would react as he checked the aisles for him.

Finally, Brady spotted Tanner in the cereal aisle. Gathering his courage, Brady strode forward, stopping only when he reached Tanner.

"Brady?" Tanner asked, sounding equal parts shocked and angry. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Shopping for cereal," Brady replied sarcastically. "I'm here for you."

Tanner turned away from Brady. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Please, just give me one minute to explain. If you still don't want anything to do with me after that, I'll leave you alone forever. I promise."

Tanner sighed but turned back around. "Fine."

"Really?" Brady asked, surprised. "I didn't think you'd actually—"

"You're wasting time."

"Oh, right. Okay, I just want to start by saying that I'm really, really sorry. I was going to tell Mack, I swear, I just didn't know how to break the news. And then I was going to tell you that I hadn't told her yet but you looked so happy and I didn't have the heart to give you bad news so I just didn't. I know I lied and I shouldn't have but I couldn't bear to see you upset over a stupid little complication."

"A stupid little complication?" Tanner interrupted. "That was not a stupid little complication. That was you being ashamed of our relationship."

Brady was usually good at knowing what to say. This, however, was one of those times when he could not think of a single thing to say.

"That's what I thought," Tanner snapped, walking away.

Brady knew that if Tanner walked away now, it'd be all over. He'd lose everything he never knew he wanted. Brady couldn't allow that.

"I'm not ashamed of our relationship!" Brady yelled, causing Tanner to freeze. A few customers turned to stare but Brady ignored them. "I am ashamed that I'm afraid of ladybugs!" Brady took a step closer to Tanner. "I am ashamed that I wet the bed until I was nine!" Another step closer. "I am ashamed that I lied to you but I am _not_ ashamed of our relationship because every minute with you is something magical!" Brady was close enough now that he could reach out and touch Tanner, but he kept yelling anyway. "Most importantly, I am not ashamed to say that I love you!"

Tanner turned around but didn't meet Brady's eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be at your surfboard meeting?"

Brady chuckled sheepishly. "I sorta ran out in the middle of it. It doesn't matter though, all that matters is that I make things right with you."

"Really?" Tanner asked, a little bit of hope creeping into his voice.

"Really," Brady replied before kissing him.

It might have been Brady's imagination or the leftover adrenaline rushing through him but he swore that when they kissed, a few of the surrounding customers applauded.


	20. Epilogue

Epilogue ~ Two Years Later

Brady grinned as the familiar sight of the Big Bob's Beachside Breakfast came into view. He was surprised by how much he had missed this place while he and Tanner were on the road. Sure, they'd had some good food while traveling all over the world but nobody made breakfast like Big Bob.

Tanner slipped his hand into Brady's as they walked into the restaurant and Brady shot him a smile. Though it had been nearly two years since they got together, Brady still hadn't gotten used to the thrill of being with Tanner. He fell in love with him a little bit more every day they spent together.

Yes, they had their fights. Sometimes Brady felt as though he'd like to wring Tanner's neck but they always worked it out in the end. And really, there wasn't anybody else that Brady would rather see the world with.

And see the world they did. After traveling across the US, Tanner and Brady had flown over to Europe. They had visited Giggles and Cheechee and had met their dog, Bear. Then they had spent the better part of the year seeing all there was to see. After two years of being away, they both felt it was time for a trip home.

"Brady, Tanner, over here!" Mack called.

After not speaking for sixth months, Tanner and Brady had finally worked things out with Mack and Lela. They had all realized that being mad at each other really wasn't benefiting anyone. Their friendship was much too valuable to throw away over something like that.

Somehow, Mack had ended up dating Rascal. They were both sitting at a table in the corner of the restaurant. Beside them were Lela and Struts, a couple that no one had ever imagined. Brady was truly happy for both couples.

"It's been ages since I've seen you guys!" Lela cried, standing up to hug them. "You really need to visit more often."

"That is, if you can take time out of your busy schedules for us commoners," Mack added jokingly. "It's not every day that we get to spend time with an awesome surfboard designer such as yourself."

Surprisingly, the surfboard company had called Brady back after he ran out. They liked his design so much that they didn't even care that he had run from the room. He was able to work on the road, designing surfboards, and had really made a name for himself after two years of hard work.

"I'm sure I'll find time for some old friends," Brady replied, laughing.

As the waitress came to take their orders, Brady couldn't help but think that everything had worked itself out perfectly.

The End


End file.
